Lahat ng Kabanata ng Stolen by the Alpha: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Kalen I have to think of her.I clench my jaw, my body tensing, and I pull back, away from her.“We can’t,” I say. “I’m the Alpha.”She rolls her eyes. “I’m not asking to be your mate.”“I can’t,” I say.“Because of the curse?”She says it so flippantly it stabs at my heart.“It’s real,” I say, meeting her gaze. “I’ve watched it take those I love.”She tilts her head, considering. “Then don’t love me. Just fuck me.”Her words send a jolt through me, and I laugh. I can't help it. But she's serious, her body tense, her eyes dark with desire."Lyla, you don't understand--""I understand," she says, her hands finding mine. Our fingers lace together, and she squeezes. "I understand there's danger. But we don't have to commit."My blood hums with her

Kalen “Ethan?” I repeat, the name curdling in my mouth. My hands drop from her wrists as if she’s burned me. “Ethan Blackwood is your mate?”Lyla presses a hand to her chest, her face going pale. Something flickers in her eyes—a memory, a shadow I can’t quite see. But I know fear when I see it.My mind is already racing ahead. “Lyla, you’re mated to Ethan? He’s the Alpha of your pack.” A bitter laugh escapes me. “Shit, Lyla!” I stand, my fists clenching. My jaw is tight, my pulse hammering. “Just when I thought there was a chance for us—if he thinks you came here willingly—your own pack will kill you for staying here!”She barely reacts. Her body shudders, her gaze distant, lost somewhere else.I push forward. “There’s a way out of this. If we say I held you here against your will—they won’t punish you.”

Kalen "No!" Lyla thrashes like netted prey. "Not again! Not again!"Her terror is a live wire against my skin. I cage her gently between my arms and legs, mindful of her nails, absorbing the blows until her screams die to whimpers."Breathe, hellwolf." My palm settles over her racing heart.She stills, sucking in a deep breath and holding it so long I fear she’ll pass out. Then she whispers, “Kalen.”One word. A statement.My name.My heart trembles.“I’m here.” I whisper the words, my lips grazing her cheek.She relaxes against me, a shuddering gasp shaking her body.Focus. On her. Keep her focused. "Name five things you smell," I murmur. Grounding her in this moment."Pine resin. Iron blood. Your... your stupid musk."I smile. "Two more.""Wood smoke." A shuddering inhale. "Rotted meat."Ice floods my veins. The same decay-smell from J

EthanThe forest welcomes me, a familiar embrace of pine and earth as my paws dig into the soft ground. Around me, five of my strongest pack members run in formation—their silver and dark-furred bodies weaving between trees with practiced ease. I lead them on the border patrol, my senses heightened in this form, alert to any sign of intrusion into our territory. My wolf revels in the simple joy of the run, the temporary freedom from human worries.The moon hangs high overhead, bathing the forest in light that filters through the canopy. My Beta, Alaric, a massive gray wolf with battle scars crisscrossing his muzzle, flanks me on the right. He's been by my side since I took the mantle of Alpha after Lyla's father died. On my left runs Aria, the pack's head warrior, her russet fur gleaming as she moves with lethal grace.The darkness of the night cloaks us, weaving a shroud of secrecy as we weave through the towering evergreens that loom like ancient sentinels around us. It’s a perfect n

I wash the blood from my hands in the icy stream, watching as crimson swirls dissolve into clear water. If only the stain on my conscience could be so easily cleansed. The tribute. A sterile word for a monstrous practice—sacrificing a newborn cub to the Slavers each year to keep our pack safe. A tradition older than I am, passed down through generations of Alphas, each bearing the weight of this terrible choice. Until now, I've convinced myself it was necessary. Unavoidable. The price of our continued existence. But Lyla's voice echoes in my mind, challenging everything I thought I knew. Everything I've done in the name of duty.The cold water numbs my skin, but does nothing for the hollowness spreading inside me. Four young wolves dead because I hesitated. Because I listened to the doubts that have been growing since Lyla discovered the truth twelve months ago.The memory of that night is seared into my mind. Lyla had been tracking unusual movements at the borders of our territory, c